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The Big Lies › 2013 › File PF-0030
Debunked

Navy Yard Gunman 'Armed With an AR-15' — He Wasn't

Numerous outlets reported that Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis used an AR-15 rifle, and the claim drove calls for an assault-weapons ban.

First reported Sep 16, 2013 · New York Daily News, CNN, The New York Times, USA Today, MSNBC, BuzzFeed
Screenshot of the original report as published
Screenshot of the report as published: washingtonexaminer.com. Tap to open the source.
Who it helped: Democrats

The AR-15 claim bolstered the push for an assault-weapons ban.

What was reported

Numerous outlets reported that Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis used an AR-15 rifle, and the claim drove calls for an assault-weapons ban.

What actually happened

The Daily News ran a front-page AR-15 headline; the Times, USA Today and others cited officials saying an AR-15 was among his weapons; CNN's Piers Morgan and MSNBC repeated it. The FBI then said there was no information he had an AR-15: he entered with a shotgun and later took a handgun. Reports indicated he had tried out an AR-15 at a gun range but did not leave with one.

The proof

An FBI assistant director stated there was no information Alexis had an AR-15 and that he carried a shotgun.

The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:

Navy Yard Gunman 'Armed With an AR-15' — He Wasn't — Debunked. An FBI assistant director stated there was no information Alexis had an AR-15 and that he carried a shotgun. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/navy-yard-ar15-claim-2013/

Original reporting

Corrections, findings & records

Archived copies

Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.

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